I’ve never been too good at rememberingbirthdays.

    I often tell friends that if mine weren’t on Halloween, I’dprobably forget my own.

    Fortunately, as I’ve grown older, I’ve gotten a little better atremembering some people’s birthdays. I guess the dates are finallystarting to sink into the brain.

    One thing that has come in handy are the birthday listings forfriends on Facebook. On some days, the notices serve as newinformation so that I can send well wishes and on other days, theyare just reminders for me do so.

    Another item that has helped is an every-year Christmas presentfrom my Aunt Barbara. With her calendar full of doctor appointmentreminders, historical notes on prior family events and otherinformation, Aunt Barbara is sort of the record-keeper for thefamily.

    With that in mind, Barbara for years has given me a calendar -complete with relatives’ birthdays and other notes – for Christmas.I’ve not always hung up it in the apartment or the house, but I’vekept it handy.

    Of course, some relatives’ birthdays I don’t need a reminderfor.

    My cousin’s husband William’s birthday is Nov. 2, two days aftermine.

    And my sister-in-law Patti’s is on Sept. 11. That one becamememorable 10 years ago, but for all the wrong reasons.

    I believe one activity many people enjoy is seeing what celebritiesor other people share their birthdays. Surprisingly, a number ofcelebrities have the same birthday as I.

    Noted CBS News anchorman Dan Rather will be 80 Monday. I’d rathernot share a birthday with him, but so be it.

    Elsewhere in the news world, longtime “Today” show host Jane Pauleyhas a Halloween birthday. She’ll be 61.

    In looking up shared birthdays, I noticed a couple of “M*A*S*H”connections. Sally Kirkland, Houlihan from the original movie, willbe 70 and David Ogden Stiers, Winchester in the television series,will be 69.

    I also learned that film director Peter Jackson’s birthday is onHalloween and he’ll be 50. He directed “The Lord of the Rings”saga, one of my all-time favorite movie trilogies.

    From the sports world, Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff, a former firstbaseman for my favorite baseball team the Toronto Blue Jays, and Ishare a Halloween birthday. McGriff, who also played for theAtlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and several other teams during anear-Hall of Fame career, will be 48.

    The day after her 35th birthday Monday, Piper Perabo will return tothe television screen for several new episodes of “Covert Affairs.”Having that show back on the air will a reason for me tocelebrate.

    I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a fellow DAILY LEADER employeewith whom I share a birthday. Assistant Circulation Director JohnRichardson will be 79 Monday.

    John and I also share another holiday connection in that we’ve bothplayed Santa Claus for some Christmas functions. And we both had toadd a little midsection padding for the part.

    Happy Birthday, John.

    As for sharing the actual, came-into-this-world-the-same-yearbirthday, I have to use the term “celebrity” pretty loosely to makea connection as far as who also will be marking 43 years on EarthMonday.

    Yours truly and yesteryear rapper Vanilla Ice, aka Rob Van Winkle,of “Ice, Ice, Baby” fame, both arrived in 1968. Now that’s a spookynewfound fact I’d just as soon forget.

    That’s all for now.

    Write to Managing Editor Matthew Coleman at P.O. Box 551,Brookhaven MS 39602, or send e-mail tomcoleman@dailyleader.com.